On politics in the Golden State

Jerry Brown meets with top Democrats again; still no budget deal

The Legislature’s top Democrats have just wrapped up another closed-door meeting with Gov. Jerry Brown, but failed to reach an accord on a state budget.

Talks between the three leaders continue as lawmakers face a Friday deadline to pass a spending plan or risk having their pay suspended until a budget is passed.

Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and Assembly Speaker John A. Perez (D-Los Angeles), both looking serious as they walked out of Brown’s office Tuesday morning, said they still hope to reach a deal by the end of the week, but that the decision now rests with Brown.

“There’s no reason not to get a budget agreement,” Steinberg said. “The governor needs to decide what political frame he wants to go forward with.”

Democrats have rejected some of the deepest cuts Brown has proposed to welfare, child care and in-home health services for the poor and disabled. Perez said some progress has been made to bridge the gaps between the governor and lawmakers, but with the Friday deadline looming, it was not enough.

“We don’t need progress, we need resolution,” he said. “We’ll have resolution by Friday, on time and balanced.”

Both the Senate and Assembly budget committees are scheduled to vote on a budget plan Tuesday afternoon, but Perez said he was unsure whether the vote would go forward as negotiations between the leaders and the governor continue.